Many people consider our high rate of energy use to be essential in order for us to maintain our high standard of living here in Canada. In various European countries where people enjoy a standard of living equivalent to ours, people only use half as much energy per person.
The reason for this phenomenon is because energy costs in Europe have been surging upwards for quite some time now, and energy waste could not be tolerated. This reinforces the practice of energy conservation. When we have no other alternative but to pay high energy prices, we will have to be accustomed to do more with less.
Lower energy use and costs with these 6 easy tips:
- Avoid using incandescent task lighting (desk lamps). Ask your building manager for a compact fluorescent or LED bulb to replace the incandescent bulb in your task light.
- Statistics outline that electrical loads from plug-in equipment can account for up to 30% of a building’s total energy usage and it can be easily managed.
- Eliminate lights that are not necessary. Many offices are over lit. You may be able to turn off up to half of the overhead lighting without a problem.
- If every household in Ontario replaced just three 100-watt incandescent bulbs with 10-watt LED bulbs, a total of 1.3 MWh would be saved. That translates into enough power to supply 130,000 homes, or a city the size of Windsor.
- Setup a specified charging station in your home for all of your rechargeable equipment like cell phones. Plug all of your chargers into a power bar that has a timer and set the timer to begin charging at night. This way you will not be using electricity all day long.
- Keep your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted. Clean or replace the filter regularly. Dirty filters reduce airflow and make your furnace work harder.
By: Alex Savu, Energy Manager, RP OPS Det. Borden
